


DnD Drabbles

by RockingAndRolling



Category: Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-22
Updated: 2021-02-03
Packaged: 2021-03-13 19:01:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,935
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28908246
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RockingAndRolling/pseuds/RockingAndRolling
Summary: Collections of works I wrote for any and all of my DnD characters.
Kudos: 2





	1. Chapter 1

Aurora stood outside of Cynthia’s home, hood pulled over her head as the snow fell heavily. It wasn’t a blizzard, but it was enough to make the genasi absolutely miserable. She wasn’t expecting the woman to answer, it was the middle of night after all, but there was nowhere else to go.

Pulling her cloak tighter around her, she trudged forward through the snow and finally knocked, quiet to not wake everyone in the house. It was only a few minutes before the door cracked open.

“Aurora? What are you doin here so late?” The barbarian looked worried. She had a blanket around her shoulders and her hair was a mess from sleeping, presumably. She had a passing thought in her mind that she looked really, really cute all sleepy and just awake… She blinked, breaking the thought.

“Oh uh… Vigal is pissed.” That was the understatement of the year. She had a bruised cut on her arm and the biting comments of the crew in her head. “I didn’t think it was best to stay the night in there, you know? And you offered a place here when we first met, so I thought… I thought if you had space, I could stay here? Until Vigal calms down?”

The look on Cynthia’s face was one of concern, anger, and something else Aurora couldn’t place. She barely had to finish her sentence before Cynthia’s hand was on her back, herding her inside. There was a moment when she had to brush past her side and she felt her cheeks heat up. “Here, hun, we’ll find you a place to- is that a cut?”

“Oh, it’s nothing-“ She whispered, trying to make sure everyone stayed asleep.

“Don’t lie. It’s above your sleeve. C’mon, I have some medicine stuff. You sit.” She placed her hands on her shoulders and made her sit in a chair. Before Aurora could protest, the barbarian was already going up the ladder to grab a kit. While Cyn was gone, she took this moment of privacy to try and warm up and calm down. She took off her cloak and peeked at her cut. She was bleeding, a shiny green liquid seeping out of the wound as green and purple surrounded it.

“So what happened?” The appearance of Cynthia made her jump halfway out of her seat. She had another blanket draped over her arm and a kit in her hand. “It’s not just a little cut. That thing looks nasty, and I know you can cast healing spells.” Her tone was tense and there was something honestly a little scary lying underneath it.

“I… I don’t have any spells left in me.” She admitted. “We were on a job, and I got pushed to the front line and had to use all my spells to protect myself. We totally botched it, and Vigal got drunk and angry and… sometimes he’s not careful and he threw something, and I was just in the way.” Aurora shrugged. It was more like she was the target, but Cynthia didn’t need to know that at all.

She watched as Cynthia knelt down and started bandaging up her arm gingerly. “You can stay here as long as you need. Even if that’s for longer than you think… there’s a space for you.” Her attention was entirely on the cut, while Aurora’s was just on Cynthia’s face. “You shouldn’t… be there. With them. They treat you like shit, and they pull this kinda fuckery on you. It’s horrible.”

“I don’t have much of a choice. I owe Vigal money… and I don’t know where I would go.” Her voice was soft, watching the other fix up her cut.

“You have here. You have m- us. You have us.” Cynthia looked up, and it seemed that both of them realized just how close their faces were. “Shit, sorry. Didn’t mean to get that… that close.”

“It’s okay.” Aurora assured. “Thank you for bandaging me up… I would have been fine just sleeping and getting my spells back.” The thought of staying here, in the cottage, with Cynthia made her heart race a bit, with both the idea of freedom and being closer to her sitting right at the forefront. But it wasn’t possible, not with the possessiveness Vigal had on her powers and Fisk had on her. “I promise I won’t be a bother while I’m here.”

“Won’t be a bother. Would never offer a place to stay if I didn’t mean it. It’s late, we should both sleep, come on.” She stood and held out her hand. Her hands were so nice… well worked and still so gentle. She took her hand with no hesitance, standing as well and jolting in surprise as a blanket was suddenly draped on her shoulders. It was warm and smelled a little bit like her. Each step towards the ladder felt like she was falling asleep. Going up the ladder was difficult as well, and she was pretty sure that Cynthia had to pull her up by her arms for the last bit.

She didn’t realize just how exhausted she was, and it really showed when she barely recognized Cynthia just scooping her up, carrying her to a pallet of pillows, and setting her down. She started to fall asleep as she was tucked in, mumbling her thanks.

“It’s not a problem.” Cynthia replied. “Just sleep, kay?”

“Mmkay.” She whispered, curling up in a ball.

The next morning, neither of them acknowledged the fact Cynthia woke up curled around her protectively, arm keeping her secure and warm.

The next night back at the inn just felt cold.


	2. Among Us

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is gay

Aurora sat upside down on the couch, feet in the air as her head hung over the edge of the cushion. Her attention was entirely on her phone, tongue poked out as she concentrated. Across the living room, Cynthia sat, flipping through a book quietly.

Suddenly, Aurora sat up, cursing at her phone a bit as she did so. “Ugh! Stupid orange, I was in the middle of a download!!” Huffing, she shifted her position and sat on the arm of the couch. “Now I have to start it over _and_ I’m a ghost.”

“What… in the ever living fuck are you talking about?” She looked up, quirking a brow and lowering her book. “You’ve been staring at your phone for the past... what? 2 hours? What are you doing?”

“I’m playing Among Us! Eda showed me it this morning! It’s a game where you have to find out who the imposter is!” In seconds, the genasi popped off the couch and plopped down in Cynthia’s lap, swinging her legs over the arm of the chair. “Here look! Right now I’m a ghost because the imposter killed me, but this is what they look like when they’re not ghosts! Aren’t they adorable?”

The shapechanger’s face flushed as she was suddenly being used as a seat, but fortunately she was able to distract herself with Aurora’s phone. “Ha, yeah, they are kinda cute aren’t they. Kinda like you, huh Freckles?”

Aurora laughed, nudging Cynthia with her elbow. “Flirt.” She placed a little kiss on her cheek. “Anyways, when you get crewmate, you have to do a bunch of tasks and try to find out who is the imposter! If you get imposter, you have to try to kill everyone but still pass by as a crewmate! It’s really fun! You should get it!! We can play together if you want!”

“Ah… shit, why not? Seems fun.” Cynthia was not going to admit that she would shoot herself in the leg if it made Aurora smile at her like that. It made her cheeks light up like the aurora borealis and her freckles shine out more.

After a few more minutes of showing Cyn the ropes and getting the game downloaded, they finally started a game. She had to admit, the way that the little spacemen ran around was rather cute, and she really wanted to show Aurora the way the hat she had bounced as she ran, but she was sworn to keep her screen secret.

“Oh hey hun.” Cynthia said as she saw Aurora’s character walk up to her in the back of the electrical room. “What tasks you got- AURORA I CANNOT BELIEVE!” Her tone was shocked as she watched the little blue spaceman shot her black spaceman in the back of the head. She looked up to Aurora with shock and fake despair as the genasi woman started laughing as her character hopped into a vent and hid.

The minute that she was hidden, Cynthia set her phone to the side and started tickling her sides. “You can’t just pick me off because I’m an easy kill!!” She trapped her in her lap.

She started laughing and squirming, dropping her phone on her stomach as she tried to push her hands away. “Cyyynnn! I’m sorryyy, but it was so easy!!” Her laughs hung in the air, even after they left her mouth. Gods, she loved hearing her laugh, it was magical every time she laughed.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, tell yourself that! You just wanted an easy win.” She stopped her attack and wrapped her arms around Aurora’s waist, pulling her closer. “Taking advantage of my lack of knowledge.”

Aurora threw her arms around Cyn’s shoulders, pressing light little kisses to her face. “I’m sorry, Cyn. Forgive me? Whatever can I do to make it up for you?” Despite her words, the giggling she couldn’t hide. “Oh, don’t pout at me, you would have pulled the same move if you were in my shoes.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, shut up.” She pressed a kiss to her lips, smiling softly. Kissing her made her feel like she was falling, but she wasn’t sure if that was the ‘air genasi’ bit or the ‘hopelessly smitten’ bit that made her feel like that.

She lost track of time on how long they were… distracted. But they clearly weren’t paying attention when Eda and Flicka walked into the living room.

“GROSS, are you kidding me, how many times have we told you two to stop making out in the living room??” Eda made a face, pushing Flicka back into the hallway. “Gross, gross, gross!”

Cynthia shrugged and planted an overdramatic kiss on Aurora’s cheek. “We can continue this in a different room?” She scooped up the genasi.

“But my game!”

“You are not rejecting me for a phone game that you killed me first go at.”

“Rude.”

It was still left forgotten in the living room anyways.


	3. Thoma Raelem

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is the story I wrote for my first (finished campaign) character, Thoma Raelem. She's a half-elf Arcane Trickster rogue, so you know this girl is angsty. Jk she was one of the most open and loving characters I had and at the end of the story she got married to a tall, buff Water Genasi woman named Dawn. She also somehow has many family members that are nobility or royalty, that wasn't planned on my part, it just happened.

_Splash_

“Watch it, kid.” An older man grumbled as he passed Tom. “You’ve already been causing enough trouble.

She snickered and waved it off. “It’s just puddles!” She shot back as she jumped in another puddle of water. Her bag of groceries was securely wrapped up to protect it from the rain. This harvest had been harder than most, and now that it was turning to winter, the effects were hitting hard for the farmers in her little town. Her father had been pulling a side job chopping down wood for Mister Aurweild and right now she had managed to snag a job at the inn.

She passed the little campsite where the mercenary group had been staying since she put spiders in their room. Tom couldn’t help another laugh. Who would have thought such ‘big strong men’ were afraid of a bunch of little spiders? She noticed kegs overturned and grinned. They must have found out she replaced their wine with juice. Maybe they would finally leave and stop making things so tense around here.

She was too lost in her rhythmic puddle-jumping to notice that the camp was totally empty, when usually at least one would stand guard.

The rest of the trip home was fine, though she had to stop jumping when she nearly slipped. The rain was coming down harder now. She bounced up the little path and opened the gate to the farm.

“Look who’s finally here.”

Tom stopped dead in her tracks and dropped the bag. She locked eyes with her father, who was being restrained by two of the mercenaries. The leader, a tall human man who was balding and had a nasty scar down his face, stood next to them laughing. The rest of the men, who were gathered in a semi-circle around the gate, laughed with him.

“Not so talkative now, are you, brat?” The merc said.

“Leave her out of this, I don’t know what you want, but she’s barely a woman.” Her father said, attempting to break free of their hold.

“Let him go!” She ran forward, pulling a small carving knife out of her pocket to attack the human man. One of his men grabbed her arm and twisted it behind her, nearly popping the bone out of place. She dropped the knife and cried out in pain before being kicked to the ground.

“She’s going to suffer.” He said striding forward and crouching in front of Tom as she started to push herself off of the ground. He grabbed her by her hair, now muddied by falling into the dirt. “Normally, I’m fine with pranking from kids. They’re kids, you know? I have some of my own, somewhere out there. But you’re just some stupid little half-thing who thinks it’s funny to mess with my shit.” He slammed her face into the ground, though it was too soft to break anything. “Make sure she watches. Then make sure she can’t follow.”

Tom thrashed and kicked as two men, a half orc and a tiefling grabbed her under the arms. “Let him go! He didn’t do anything! I’m sorry, just let him go, you can do whatever you want to me!!” Her pleas fell on deaf ears as the man pulled out his sword and examined it. The rain streaked down the metal, like the sword itself was crying.

“You raised an insolent little brat. Don’t see a woman around, either. A waste of a man you are.” He said. “But any kind of man needs last words.”

Her father ignored him, staring at Tom with something in his eyes. It looked prideful and loving. “I love you, little songbird.”

Then his gaze was broken as the sword was stabbed through his chest. Her father coughed up blood, slowly. He fell forward, landing in the mud with a horrible, resounding _thud_. She heard someone scream before she realized it was her.

The whole mercenary group waited until her father stopped breathing. Did they take joy in this? They killed an innocent man. Kill her instead, take her life instead!

The minute her father went still, she was kicked to the ground again. She looked up, sobbing and almost retching from the force of her cries while the leader walked up again, bloody sword in hand. Her fathers blood was oddly vibrant against the silver polished metal. He took the blade and tilted her chin up with it.

“You’re a monster.” She managed to get out her sentence before another round of sobbing and coughing.

“You’re pathetic. You can’t even get up to fight me. All you’re doing is crying like a child.” He sneered. “This is your first life lesson then, brat. Grow up, or people die.” He moved his sword enough to slice her cheek.

He gave some kind of command as he walked away, but Tom didn’t really hear him. She kept staring at the body lying mere feet in front of her. Seeing him unmoving hurt more than the first kick to her side, which knocked her on the ground.

Soon enough, physical pain won out, and she curled herself up to shield herself from the beating. They jeered at her, one even spitting. Eventually, one landed a kick in the right place in her stomach, causing her to throw up on their feet. They backed away, disgusted but still laughing. One kicked her in the face for good measure, still not strong enough to break a nose but enough to bloody her face.

It felt like hours before she managed to pull herself towards her father’s body. She pushed herself up to sit over him. She groaned in pain as she rolled him to lie on his back. Seeing his face only made her cry harder than before.

There was no life in his eyes, and he wasn’t smiling. He always tried to smile when he looked at her, she realized. Was he ever angry when he looked at her? He looked fake. That’s not him. This isn’t him. Maybe he was inside and this was fake, one of the mean kids in town came back from that magic school, maybe he was pulling a prank on her. He had to be inside and just didn’t realize she was out here. She cradled his face and tried to shake him. She got blood on her hands.

“Papa?” She whispered. “Wake up… I’m sorry. I won’t… I won’t pull pranks anymore. I’ll fix up the barn. Next harvest, I-I’ll wake up early, promise.” Tom shook him a bit harder. “Papa, please, I won’t be upset about mom anymore either. I won’t come home with bruises either.” She sobbed and held onto him, resting her forehead on his chest. “Please, please, I don’t want you to go. I need you.”

She didn’t move for hours, until Mister Aurweild came to pick up wood. He shouted for help as he pulled Tom away from the corpse, which had now gone cold. She fought as best as she could from being injured and out in the cold.

The next few weeks were a blur for her. The house was empty. People who never liked her visited, people who she never talked to came to check on her. It was fake. None of them cared.

None of them came to the funeral. She held the box of her father’s ashes as the priest said some last rites. She stood, dressed in a horrid ichy black dress Mister Aurweild let her borrow, on the banks of her father’s favorite stream. Someone, the innkeeper’s husband Tom thought, made a marker for him. His name and a red bird carved into a large stone to be placed near the water. It was sweet, she supposed. She hated it. She hated how pretty and careful it was. She hated the beautiful box she was gifted to hold his ashes in. She let the ashes into the wind and threw the box into the water. The priest left after saying his condolences.

Mister Aurweild visited after she released the ashes, saying he couldn’t make it to the stream with his old bones. She ignored the fact that he went fishing there every week. She just handed him the box her father kept hidden.

“What is this?” He asked. “It’s locked.”

“It’s stuff Papa kept of my mother. I… I’m selling everything else, but… he loved her so dearly. If I come back… keep it safe for me?” She asked. She was already dressed to leave the village to Iridis, where she heard they were going when they were still there a few months ago. With selling the farm, the house and most everything in it to some man who swore up and down she would have it back when she returned, she had plenty of money to buy armor, weapons and traveling gear. The only old thing was the ratty red cloak her dad used to travel in.

“Of course, Thoma.” He said. “For him, and for you. When you return, it will be here.”

“I…” She sighed, not planning on ever coming back. “Thank you, Mister Aurweild. For everything. I wouldn’t have moved if you didn’t find me.”

He nodded, somewhat awkwardly, and closed the door.

As she walked down the steps, a little songbird twittered and flapped its wings on his fence. She glared at it and shooed it away. It persisted for a bit before leaving.

And as Thoma Raelem walked away from the village she had called home for 19 years, she unknowingly stepped closer to a new one.


	4. Didn't Even Know

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tom being pulled out of school, Brulcen realizes his daughter is gay, and Tom starts to heal

When Brulcen Raelem was told that his daughter was in trouble, it really wasn’t much of a surprise. Her curious spirit paired with her inability to stay out of trouble was a dangerous combination, especially when she was in school. As he walked to the small school house, he assumed she had punched someone again or ran off into the field during break.

“Mister Raelem, nice to see you again.” Miss Bullock, Tom’s schoolteacher, was more of a hag than a kind old lady, but he told Tom to never say that to anyone else.

“Missus Bullock, so sorry for being a bit late. Work on the farm went longer than expected.” He explained as he walked up the small set of stairs. “Is Tom inside?”

“Yes. I have to tell you, she’s never done anything like _this_ before.”

Inside, Tom was sitting at a desk, avoiding the glares of the other student’s parents. Instead of a boy with a broken nose or black eye (or both), there was a tall girl sitting next to his daughter. Who had no signs of being hit whatsoever. The girl looked up at him, having very obviously been crying.

Brulcen awkwardly nodded a greeting to the girl’s angry parents and sat next to Tom in the small desk. His daughter jolted in surprise as he sat, clearly not expecting him. She slowly rested her head on her arms and stared at the floor, face red.

“What happened today was quite unusual for Thoma, I must admit.” Bullock said as she stood at her desk, pulling out a folded piece of paper. “Never has she reduced a student to tears from something other than physical violence.”

In his head, Brulcen made a comment about how his daughter only ever defended herself and her honor, but for time’s sake, he kept it to himself. He had enough yelling fits with this woman. He took the note and opened it.

He blinked when he read the note. There, in Tom’s messy handwriting was, _GET OUT OF MY SCHOOL_. He turned to look at her. “What is this?”

The tips of her ears turned red. “A note.”

“I see that. Why does it say this?”

“Because.”

“Thoma Raelem.”

“Just because!”

The note was ripped out of his hands and crumpled up. The girl’s father glared down at him. “I’ll tell you what it is! Your excuse of a daughter gave this horrible note to my baby girl! Now, I know you just let her run around unladylike, hitting boys and pulling pranks, but this is too much!”

Brulcen stood. “I’m sure Tom has a reasonable explanation for this. She’ll tell me in her own time.”

“I want an apology now!” The girl’s mother shrieked. “That feral brat made Giselle cry! She deserves to be kicked out! She can’t go around punching boys and saying such horrible things!”

As the parents shouted and rained down insults towards his daughter, Brulcen, a normally patient man, hit his fist on the desk, causing them to both be quiet.

“Now, I fully expect Tom to apologize for this, but no one is allowed to insult her like that. She is a wonderful daughter, and you two are acting like children over a note you have no context over. Get the fuck away from my daughter. And Bullock? Don’t expect Tom back here tomorrow. She already has a lie in her head that she’s stupid, she doesn’t need you telling her that either.” After that, he gathered up Tom’s books and ushered her out of the schoolhouse.

That evening, Tom didn’t talk much, not even during dinner. As soon as they cleaned up, she just went down the hall and closed the door. That was… worrying. When she was home, it was like a never-ending stream of some kind of noise. She couldn’t stand the quiet.

He barely got an answer when he knocked on her door. As soon as she gave the okay, he opened it quietly and sat on her bed, where she laid curled up.

“Tom? You okay, sweetheart?” He asked.

“No.” She said, voice thick from crying. “I messed up.”

“You did.” He admitted, “And I’ll expect an explanation for that later, when you feel better. But something else is bothering you.”

“They said a bunch of stuff…” She messed with the edge of her blanket. “I’m not… I’m not weird, right Dad?”

“Well honey, it’s okay to be weird.” He said. “Makes everything interesting. Who else will leave knife marks on the side of the barn? Or pull pranks in town? People say they don’t like it, but I’ve heard so many people laugh about the result.” He said. “If you were normal, I wouldn’t have those things. I wouldn’t have you.”

She sniffed, obviously trying not to cry. “I just… no one at school likes me. She was really nice, and I didn’t want her to be like everyone else so I told her to leave. Maybe if she left we could have been friends. And it’s weird cause I don’t like it when I imagine us as just friends.”

It clicked in Brulcen’s head. “I understand now.” He said. “That’s not weird at all. You aren’t weird.” He promised. “Now, since you don’t have school tomorrow, you better sleep. Because now you get to help on the farm.”

“Nooooo!” She whined, rubbing her face and sitting up.

“That’s what you get for me finally getting you out of school like you wanted. You’ll be fine, sweetheart. Just sleep.” He tugged lovingly on the tips of her ears and kissed her forehead. “Love you, songbird.”

“Love you too Dad.”

When he left her room, he realized he had the note from today sitting on the counter. He threw it in the fireplace and went to his own bedroom. Before he went to bed, he kissed Maglana’s locket sitting on his dresser. “Our daughter is still just as wonderful as ever.” He promised. “Can’t wait for your next letter.”

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

“And guess what, I didn’t realize I liked her until a whole year later. Dad just kept it a secret, and when I told him he was like ‘Oh yeah, I knew.” Tom laughed quietly, keeping her eyes on the forest. “I was mad at him for weeks.”

“So, your father knew you liked girls before you did?” Dawn chuckled through the necklace. “Glad you realized it.”

Tom snorted, instinctively hiding her blush, though no one else was around to see it. “Yeah, yeah. I’m dense as all hell.”

“I noticed.” She said. “All jokes aside, he sounds like a wonderful person.”

“He was.” She said, hugging her cloak tighter around her. “I miss him. He would have liked you. Probably would have said something about keeping me on the straight and narrow. Hopefully he doesn’t know what I’m up to.”

“Up to what? Preventing chaos magic from reigning supreme?” The genasi asked. “I think he would be proud.”

The rogue was silent for a few moments, holding tight to her tattered cloak. “Thank you.” She whispered. “I hope so.”

“Alright, this is all well and lovely, Tom, but some people are trying to sleep. I need a full night’s rest to be able to function.” Mark Ryan grumbled from behind her.

“Sorry, sorry.” She apologized. “I’ll let you get to sleep, Dawn.”

“Alright. Stay safe. Call if you need help.”

“I will. You too.” Once she hung up, Tom smiled and tugged on the tip of one of her ears happily. She sighed and tapped her feet.

The next morning, there were plenty of songbirds singing. Tom, for the first time since Brulcen died, whistled back.


	5. The Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Context: At the end of the campaign, two very big things happened. 1) The Chaos Mages trapped the party in their own illusions, first tempting them to stay by showing them something they had always wanted, and then keeping them stuck in a nightmare by showing them the worst thing they could imagine. Tom's nightmare was getting revenge on the crew that killed her father, but it cost her her marriage to Dawn. 2) At the very end, the last spell the BBEG cast was Feeblemind on Dawn. Tom and Dawn had a magic item that let them swap places if one could see the other was in danger. Tom used it, and was stuck with Feeblemind until they got back to the city-state of Iridis.   
> Note: her half-brother is a prince, and is Eladrin. Most of the campaign he was blue (Depressed and sad) and the last scene of the campaign hinted that he was turning green (happy) as time went on.

Tom didn’t remember much from the time she was Feebleminded. It was like a dream, one that if she focused hard enough, it could come into clarity just enough to try and put together the pieces. She didn’t try to think about them during the day, it would make her head hurt too much and getting lost in thought like that would make Dawn look at her with worry all over her face. She didn’t like it when Dawn looked at her like that, it made her feel all nervous and guilty.

Luckily, Dawn wasn’t here in Ravendenn. So, Tom could stew all she wanted in perfect silence. Even though she protested Dawn having to run around the continent to pick up the pieces, it allowed Tom to just be alone. And really alone, for the first time in months. It felt good, it felt healthy.

And she knew she was better when she stepped through the door of her childhood home. Despite it being empty, it felt warm and welcoming. Every notch in the wood and mark on the walls felt like a greeting. The first day back was so good. She moved in furniture for the master bedroom, placed the box of her parents’ belongings on the dresser, and cleaned up the immediate area around the house. It was good, she didn’t even cry, she made it look nice, and she guessed that she would be able to finish it up within the month and her and Dawn would have a home, or at least a vacation home. She didn’t cry when she went to bed and she checked in on Dawn and she fell asleep easily.

So why did start having nightmares? She would start off standing over the dead bodies of the Bloody Sword, staring at her blood covered hands with a feeling of accomplishment and pride. Then Dawn, an older Dawn, would run in, yelling about missing a birthday and how it was a mistake to marry her, and then Tom would feel faint and everything would fade. Then, between the silence and the nothing, there would be a memory and then a sharp pain in her head and she would wake up in a cold sweat and tears dried on her face. The first week she called Dawn afterwards, but she started to feel bad after she noticed that she was waking her up or interrupting something. So she stopped. She wrote to the others a bit, but it wasn’t as efficient.

She could have gone to Hollis and Adam’s home, stayed there, have friends, plan a wedding. But it didn’t feel right to leave the house half done. Like she was giving up on it again. So, she stayed alone in the house. She would spend the days moving furniture in and around the house, cleaning up the land, buying some decorations, wedding planning, and, hell, she even started baking using the fruits on the land. At night, she would try to keep awake as long as possible, but the dreams would always find a way on her mind.

Sometimes they were nice. Dawn tucking her into a cot, Terra braiding her hair, Gloom chattering away to fill silence, Mark Ryan sitting next to her and trying to find any pieces of awareness, Elliot hugging her close. They were like blessed reprieves from the nightmares. Dawn screaming in heartbreak, Terra crying over her, Gloom standing in shock, Mark Ryan trying to fix it, Elliot’s skin gaining a tinge of red. It was like a surge of everything that had happened.

She was processing, she told herself. It was healthy. It was healthy to throw yourself into rebuilding a home, to drift away from contact, to spend hours at a grave marker, to stare at the ring on your fingers for long periods of time. She didn’t really notice the passage of time. All that was going through her head was… memories of a life that could happen and thoughts of her friends in pain while she sat helpless. Sometimes she would miss the ringing necklace and let it ring. Letters sat on the table unopened. She felt like she was building up a little bubble again, and she felt safe and protected. Her friends and loved ones wouldn’t be hurt by her pain if she stayed in here, she wouldn’t be hurt by their pain either. She was okay with that.

Dawn came back for a break about a month and a half into this routine. Tom wasn’t really expecting her to be back, but something in her really couldn’t get her to move from the bed. She had a worse dream. Instead of Dawn finding her over the bodies, it was a little girl. A water genasi with blonde hair. She looked… absolutely horrified at the scene. She screamed and for some reason Tom felt like her whole heart was being ripped out at this little girl being terrified of her. She called her ‘mom’, she looked like she was being traumatized. Waking up felt like a blessing and a curse. She barely had the energy to move, much less get out of bed, where a whole day of work was awaiting her. She deserved a break.

She was pretty sure that it had been two days.

She heard Dawn before seeing her. Grumbling about not getting an answer, and then a call. “I know you’ve been here, Tom, you can’t back out on marrying me now-“ The frustrated voice stopped when she pushed open the bedroom door. “Oh, Tom… how long have you been in bed?” She sounded worried, and then the love of her life entered her line of vision.

She looked tired, a little sunburnt, and worried. Oh gods, the worry. She was hoping to avoid that expression. She was supposed to clean up a bit before Dawn got there, and now she was all worried and tense even though she was tired and probably wanted something to eat and here Tom was, lying in bed like a lazy bum.

She sat up, visibly putting effort into doing so. “I-I’m sorry, I didn’t realize you were on your way back, liebtz.” Tom whispered. “I meant to clean up a bit but I just had the worst dream the other night, well a lot of them actually, and I just kinda threw myself into fixing everything up for us, and-“ She was cut off by Dawn putting a finger against her lips.

“How long have you been in bed?” She asked. Tom’s cheeks went red, and she stayed quiet. “Tom… dear, how long?” Dawn placed a hand on her cheek and pet her hair. She leaned into her hands gently, slowly relaxing. Gods, she missed her so much. And it was so nice to have someone here, touching her face and caring for her. Why did she think that it was a good idea to shut away from everything?

“A day or two… not that long.” Tom mumbled into Dawn’s palm. “I’m sorry for not answering or calling… I don’t know why I just shut down in here.”

“You’re in the home you grew up in for the first time in a long time. You just finished saving the world. Your friends have continued with their own paths while you do your own, and I’ve been busy. You haven’t processed and you threw yourself into the house.” Dawn said gently. “It’s okay. I’m a little upset about not talking to me, but that conversation can wait a bit.”

“Are you sure…?” Tom sighed, pulling Dawn closer and hugging her neck. She pressed her face into her shoulder. “Gods… I missed you… I love you.”

“I love you too, and yes I’m sure. You’re going to take a bath, eat, and I’m going to clean up a bit, okay?” She kissed her head and eased her out of bed. “You’re going to feel better, and then we’ll talk, and then we’re going to enjoy the time we have before I go back to Iridis at the end of the week.”

Dawn was right, as usual. A bath did make her feel better, and during it Dawn brought her some food and went to clean up. The house looked better after it was cleaned a bit. After she emerged out of the bathroom, she stole one of Dawn’s shirts. Her stuff looked a bit more beat up, and Tom traced her fingers over the hilt of the greatsword leaning against the dresser.

“We need a display for it, huh?” Dawn was leaning on the doorframe as Tom turned. “You look better.”

“I feel a bit better.” She admitted. “But won’t you have to live in Iridis…? We can’t stay here for long times.”

“We can figure something out. We can’t just leave this place, you obviously love it.” She walked over and kissed her forehead. “I know it’s a weird time right now, and you probably think it would be better for you to be alone, but I promise you it’s not. I wouldn’t have said yes if it was better for you.”

“I… I’m sorry. You’re right. We can talk now, if you want.” She sat on the bed, watching Dawn as she did so as well.

And they talked. Tom told her about the dreams and the memories and the thoughts, how she was slipping into a depression. She cried and Dawn held her. Dawn told her about her own dreams. Dawn cried and she held her. It felt so much better. She felt like it wasn’t being etched into her, it felt like it was being lifted off of her shoulders.

The week felt like healing. They both rested up, spent time together, cleaned up more of the land when they were bored, sparred a bit, talked about the wedding. It was perfect. It felt like pieces of her were coming back. She asked Dawn as she was packing up if she could go to Iridis with her, and she felt so much better knowing she wouldn’t be alone when Dawn told her yes (quite enthusiastically in fact.)

She responded to the letters, apologizing and explaining what happened. She was met with love. Adam and Hollis greeted her happily when she moved into the guest room. She baked them a cake that night (she was getting better at baking).

Each day she was met with more love and support, and each day she felt more of her come back, even the pieces that were ripped away when her father died. She realized how healed she was when Elliot told her the news that the Bloody Sword had been arrested for their crimes and all she did was cry. She didn’t cheer, she didn’t feel bloodthirsty. She just wept, holding her brother, feeling relieved that that chapter in her life was finally over.

She felt a new one start when she saw that his eyes were more green than blue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the only drabble I have that makes me cry.


	6. Not God Sent

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The party got TPKed (for plot reasons) and then brought back. Tom realizes that only one person wants her to live.

The night after they died, Tom couldn’t sleep. She wasn’t sure if anyone did. Her experience in that damned volcano kept her up. That’s why that red elf looked so familiar. It was Elliot. It was her brother. The only family she had contact with, who she trusted and let into her life. And he betrayed her. The book sat in the bag of holding. Despite it being securely tucked away, it felt like it was searing into her. She hadn’t even had a chance to read it fully. She was too afraid. What could be in there? Could her brother- No, could Elliot really do something like this?

Then again… why was _he_ invited to that dinner? This whole time… he was a chaos mage. Was he using her to get close to the crystals? To get close to the Archmages?

She rolled over, hugging her blanket tighter. No, she didn’t need to think about it. This was something that could be discussed when she had a dagger to his throat. Gods, she shouldn’t have trusted him. Family always hurt, either by leaving or by betraying you. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to ignore the tiny, ever present thought that started to grow.

When would they leave? Claus left the minute he found Arzak, they hadn’t heard from him since. Izeal left too, with only vague answers about why and where. She thought they were close. He was her friend. And while her and Chadius weren’t close… it still stung when he left. Her family was growing smaller and smaller each month. Who would be next? Gloom, who made a pact with something Ellion warned them about? Mark Ryan, with a sense of justice and a trail that needed to be followed? Terra, who had a home and a family waiting for her back in Ke’lor? Would Dawn leave? She said she loved her, but it had only been months since they met. Or would Dawn die? Is Hollis dead? Is Adam safe? Where was her mother? Why hadn’t she waited in Ravendenn? Did she not want her still?

She felt her chest tighten, making it hard to breathe. Not wanting to wake everyone, she quietly pulled her bag closer to her. She pulled out her old cloak. She had felt bad wearing the one she got in Renan but figured it for the best to preserve it. She hugged it close to her chest, burying her face in it. She wept, as silently as she could. With her face pressed against it, she felt like a little girl again, hiding against her father as they watched the Queen’s coronation.

She could have been with him again. Gods, what would have happened if it was him she met instead of Dawn’s constant? Would she have come back? It had been the one of two things she had only wanted for a year. And she passed it up. For what? A family that was bound to break apart? Who would want to stay with her after all this was over? What would she have after this? An empty sense of revenge? A mother who was still so far she was intangible, a brother who betrayed her, a father who died too soon?

But Dawn wanted her to stay. When she saw Dawn again, for the first time in months, pacing and worried, she gave instantly. She would die for that woman, even if she didn’t want her to. Her sense of justice, her loyalty to her friends and her duty, the way she smiled on that date. She was everything Tom wanted to be. Someone who grew without anyone but herself to rely on for sure, but who found her footing and had people who loved her, who stayed in contact with her even though they were miles apart. She was everything Tom _wanted_. She looked at her, knowing the mess that she was, and decided to stay. She knew every little thing about her, every little bump and divet in her soul, because she wanted to. She stayed up with Tom late at night so many times, falling asleep before Tom did, just listening to her talk. She was stable, a place for Tom to come back to.

She was the only reason she was alive. Not because Tom put that much weight on her (of course, Dawn was the biggest reason she came back), but because… Dawn didn’t want her to die.

There was no higher power willing to save her. No random, mysteriously well-placed force of nature to bring her back. It was because someone wanted her to live.

She should have felt loved. She should have felt warm and fuzzy and joyous that Dawn was willing to twist an arm enough, to pull rank for her. But she didn’t. She felt… useless. Expendable.

That’s when she realized why she was on this path. If this group was set here by a higher force, by fate, by the gods, by the universe, each had their part. Mark Ryan, Gloom, Terra, they were all saved by something because they were needed to save the world from chaos. If Tom died… they would move on. Say sorry to Dawn, then move on. Forget her years down the line. ‘Hey, remember that blonde girl that was with us? Shame what happened.’ And then never think about her.

But if that’s why she’s here, to be fodder for the other three, to jump into danger to prevent them getting hit, then so be it. She’s going to be the one taking the hits. She’s going to be the one who is reckless and flashy.

They needed her to be. Even if they didn’t ask. The world needed to be saved, and if those three were going to do it, they needed someone to support them. Even if it killed her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There was a time when Elliot was a double agent, the party didn't know of course


	7. Perfect Ending

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A non canon drabble I wrote before the campaign finished. Rip Brulcen 5eva in our hearts

It had been a year since the chaos mages were finally put down, or at least silenced for a few more decades. Adam was back in Iridis, recovering but happy, finally cured of the illness chaos magic left him with. Gloom was studying at the Iridis Mage Academy, quickly shooting up their way through classes and reputation as a brilliant student. Mark Ryan still traveled around, getting more business as a private investigator due to the result of his most famous case. Terra traveled back and forth from Cerulean Town and Iridis, rebuilding her home and her collection of cats after reuniting with Garnet (who had had kittens while she was catnapped). Tom, to her surprise, was at peace with her life, for the first time in… well a long time. She had a family, a large one now, not just one person, a fiancée who loved her, two half siblings who she adored, and her mother. She hadn’t pursued her path of vengeance against the Bloody Sword, and she wasn’t planning on tracking them down anymore. Her father was gone, he wasn’t going to come back. But she knew that he would be happy with how she ended up. He always believed in her, and her mother was with her now, like he wanted.

Everything was perfect.

So why was she being dragged back to the horrible, horrible town of Ravendenn?

Dawn and Terra said it was a surprise where they were going, but she knew the instant they were on the main road in Asharia. She tried (and failed) to sneak out of the cart, but Terra made Sapphire practically sit on her to keep her in place.

“Queen Daphne pardoned you, Tom! That means you can go back and get your home back!” Terra said, patting her head. “She even has another surprise for you! Elliot and Maglana are already there!”

Despite her assurances, Tom was restless the whole trip, only moving to sit next to Dawn and fidget with her cloak. “Dawn, do I have to do this?” She asked.

“I think you’ll love this.” The water genasi promised. “Not just think, I know you will. Either way, the old mayor isn’t mayor anymore, they moved. You won’t have to deal with him anymore. Everything will be just fine.” She leaned over and kissed her head, taking her eyes off the road for just a second.

“Fine, fine.” She grumbled, leaning against her. “Don’t be mad if I take off running.” Tom said, crossing her arms. Only getting a chuckle in return, causing her cheeks to go red.

After the two weeks of travel, which was spent by Tom agonizing and complaining dramatically every five-ish hours, they finally pulled off onto the road into Ravendenn. They didn’t go too far into town though, which was odd. Tom assumed that they had put together some kind of party or something to celebrate her return to Ravendenn. Not that she wanted that or anything, everyone here sucked. No, instead they stopped right outside of the fence outlining the border of her old home.

It looked… lived in, which was so different from when she last saw it. There were flowers braided along the fence line, the yard and house were cleaned up, and smoke was drifting out of the chimney. She… She even saw animals off in the barn. Had someone been living here? Were they really going to take the house away from a family? She didn’t think she could do that, just for nostalgia. Then she saw Elliot exit through the front door, and she visibly brightened. “Elliot!!” She exclaimed, hopping down from the front seat and over the fence. She noticed him bracing for her collision and couldn’t help but grin and she basically scooped him up in a hug. “It’s been way too long!!”

“It’s been two months.” He sighed, hugging her back after she squeezed him. “It’s not been that long.”

“Yeah, but you’re my brother and I love you so…?” She pulled back from the hug and smiled at him. “What is all of this about? Dawn and Terra wouldn’t tell me anything.” She said. “They said Mom is here?”

“She’s waiting inside.” Elliot said as Dawn set their stuff on the porch, only wavering a bit when she clapped him on the shoulder in greeting. “Just… it’s going to be a lot seeing this, okay? I know how you get when emotions are a lot at this point. Queen Daphne set this up, so thank her when you get the chance.” He carefully turned her and opened the door for her, then ushered her inside.

She expected him, Terra, or Dawn to follow her, but instead she noticed them peeking through a window. She took off her cloak and hung it on the new coat rack near the door. She heard two people shuffling around in the kitchen. “Mom? Are you in there?” She called, starting to get nervous as the surprise drew closer. She froze when she heard them whisper excitedly. One… one voice sounded so familiar.

“Yes, dear! Come in, come in!” She called. “We’re cooking!”

“We…?” Tom asked, stepping into the kitchen. As soon as she turned the corner, she froze in her tracks. Standing in front of her mother, who was smiling so brightly her face might split open, was Brulcen, as alive as he had been the morning before he died. He was wearing new clothes, he hadn’t aged, he didn’t even have a trace of a scar. His crow lines were on full force as he smiled at her. He held his arms open for her. “Thoma… my girl.” He said.

She was still for a minute, processing what she was seeing. She had cremated him. There was a gravestone in the woods right now. He had been stabbed… stabbed right in front of her. Then she saw him take a step forward and she ran at him.

“Dad!!” She was crying as she threw her arms around him, knocking him on his butt onto the floor. She sobbed into his shoulder. “You’re real, you’re here?!” She exclaimed, squeezing him tight. “Oh gods, you’re here, you’re real, you’re alive!”

“I’m alive, Tom… I’m here. It’s alright.” He said. She could feel tears on her shoulder as he held her close. “I… I was brought back.”

She pulled back a bit from the hug, sniffling and sobbing like a child. “I-I’m so sorry!!” She wailed, wiping her face. “It’s all my fault you died, if I had just listened to you-“

“No, no, it wasn’t your fault. None of this was your fault.” He promised, wiping her cheeks with his thumbs. “If it wasn’t for that day, I’m sure the world would be in chaos. The bad kind, not your kind of chaos.” He chuckled. “Maglana and Elliot told me everything. You did so good, Tom. I’m so proud of you.” He looked to Maglana as she knelt next to them. He pulled her into the hug. “Not only did you save the world, you found a family. That’s everything I ever wanted for you, songbird. You did so well. So, so well.”

Throughout his assurances, Tom couldn’t stop her blubbering. He was here, he was safe, and she didn’t have to do _anything_ to bring him back! And he was proud of her. Even though she did so much wrong, he thought she did good. It was more than she could ask for. It was perfect.

For the first time since Tom was a child, the Raelem family was finally, _finally_ whole again, with no threat of possessive fiancés, cruel mercenaries, or cults in the way. After a few minutes of blubbering, weak apologies met with whispered assurances from her parents, and joyful laughter, the other three entered from the porch. Elliot looked awkward for a moment, but Tom and Maglana refused to make him feel like a third wheel and pulled him into the embrace. Dawn was next, after a brief introduction to Brulcen (along with a heartfelt ‘thank you’ from him), then Terra, who was crying more than Tom was, who assured Brulcen she kept her out of trouble.

At dinner that night, after watching Brulcen laugh so hard he almost started coughing from a story Terra told about one of Tom’s misadventures, she realized that everything was perfect. She had a family. Everyone was there. She didn’t even need to leave an empty space, because it was filled. Finally.

As Maglana sang a song to celebrate the reunion, Tom sent a small prayer to Cora, thanking her for this. She also sent a small thought to the constant she had met. _Thank you. This means everything to me._ She didn’t pay attention for a response, she had a father to pay attention too.

And she wasn’t going to let family go this time. Never again.


End file.
